


you've got the means to caress

by oscarmild



Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-14
Updated: 2016-09-14
Packaged: 2018-08-14 23:36:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8033413
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/oscarmild/pseuds/oscarmild
Summary: "What do you want me to say? that I miss you? I miss you, ok?" "...You always say that." ; alternatively - Kent visits Samwell four times.





	you've got the means to caress

**Author's Note:**

> the title is from slacks by st.south which is an excellent song n e waves lmk what u think

The first time kent visits Samwell, Jack is in his first year. The Aces are playing the Bruins and the Samwell Men’s Hockey team has an afternoon game.

  
"Perfect," Kent says. "I can come watch your game."

"Sure," Jack says.

  
He does the square breathing his therapist taught him.

  
_It’s okay_ , he tells himself. _It doesn’t matter that he’ll be there_. _This isn’t about him_.

Jack plays fine. He even scores a goal.

 _That wasn’t so bad_ , he thinks.

 

After the game, Kent goes into the locker room. All the guys are beside themselves, taking selfies and asking questions. They hardly have a chance to talk.

"Your turn," Kent says, handing him a pair of tickets to the Aces game that night.

"Oh hell yeah," Shitty says, pouncing on them.

Jack and shitty get high before the game. Jack chooses to focus on anything but Parse- the chill of the arena, the sound of skates on the ice, bodies and pucks bouncing off the boards. It’s Shitty’s first NHL game and he’s thrilled. Jack doesn’t want to ruin it for him.

 _At least the seats are good_ , he thinks.  
It’s a relief that the Aces fly out that night, so Kent doesn’t invite Jack out for drinks or anything.

 _It was nice seeing u today_ , Kent texts around midnight.

 _thanks for the tickets_ , Jack replies

 

//

 

The second time Kent visits Samwell, Jack is in his second year. He lives in the haus and he finally feels like he belongs there. Kent stops by their May 2-4 party.

"What’s May 2-4?" Holster asks.

"it’s"- Jack starts to respond.

“An excuse to drink,” Shitty says.

They’re on the front lawn, drinking, lounging, playing beer pong when Kent pulls up in his black SUV. It’s only noon but Jack is already a few beers deep. He doesn’t drink like this anymore. He gets chirped whenever he opens a new beer.

"Hey guys, watch out, Zimmermann is on his third beer! We’re gonna have to carry him off to bed soon!" and "Hey Zimmermann, you sure you can handle all that? You sure don’t want a pop or something?"

It’s all in good fun, and he knows that.

 

Kent gets swarmed again at the party. Jack just sits on the couch they brought outside, and continues to drink his beer. Kent finally makes his way over and sits down next to him.

"Hey Zimms,"

"Hey."

They talk about nothing important and people keep coming up to Kent, asking to take selfies and fawn over him.  
Jack offers to make a beer run. Kent says he’ll go with him.

"Just like old times, eh?" Kent says when they’re walking back with the cases of beer.

 _Not really_ , Jack thinks.

"Sure," he says instead.

"Hey, what’s wrong?" Kent asks. "You look like hell, man."

"Thanks," Jack says, not noticing how tired, how pale, how small Kent looks too.

"Hey man I’m just trying to hel-".

"Well don’t," Jack snaps.

"I forgot how much of an ass you can be when you’re drunk."

Jack stays silent.

"I miss you", Kent says quietly.

_I don’t_ , Jack thinks.

"I know," he says instead.

 

//

  
A few weeks later Kent is drunk and calls Jack.

"You have no idea how hard it is," he says. He’s crying.

  
Jack wishes there was something he could do. He doesn’t like him anymore, he’s not sure if he ever did. Jack doesn’t know if he liked Parse, or the pills, or the feeling of the two together. He wonders if he’ll ever get rid of the Kenny shaped ache in his heart.

"I know, I know," Jack says.

"I miss you," Kent says, hiccuping into the phone.

"I miss you too," Jack says. And he’s not lying, not really. Sometimes he misses how effortless it was with Kent. There were days when Jack didn’t even need to talk; with one look Kent would somehow know what he was thinking- at least on some level.

He stays on the phone with Kent until he falls asleep. Jack doesn't sleep at all that night.

 

//

  
The third time Kent visits Samwell, they spend the afternoon hanging out in the living room of the haus with the rest of the team.

Jack is annoyed.

Kent just walks into his life whenever he wants and charms everyone and then leaves. He has no idea how long it takes Jack to get himself back together after he leaves. He’s tired. He’s frustrated and confused. This isn’t like before. This isn’t fun anymore.

Kent is sitting in the middle of the couch elaborately recounting one of his games when Jack storms upstairs. He doesn’t have to listen to this. He doesn’t have to watch his friends fall in love with Kent Parson, Calder trophy winner and Stanley cup champion.  
Everyone is engrossed in Kent’s story, so nobody notices Jack going upstairs. They do hear his door slam though. They all look towards the source of the sound.

"I’ll uh, I’ll go check on him," Kent says, getting up. He heads for the stairs. 

An hour later Kent comes downstairs. His face and his eyes are red. Shitty and Johnson, who are sitting on the couch, politely avoid eye contact. 

"Here," he says, placing two tickets on the arm of the couch. "We’re playing the Falconers tonight."

He leaves without saying anything else.

 

//

 

The fourth time Kent visits Samwell, it’s Epikegster 2014. It takes him a while to find Jack and when he finally sees him across the room, he almost doesn’t recognize him. Jack is leaning against the wall, talking to some small blond boy. He’s laughing, gesturing with his hands; he looks so light, so happy.

"Hey Zimms, didja miss me?"

He shouldn’t have asked. He can see the answer in eyes.

 _No_.


End file.
